If you were able to pick up Salvon Ahmed this week on waivers, chances are that you'll want to start him in fantasy leagues. He has seemingly taken over as Miami's lead back, so why wouldn't you give him a chance to buoy your lineup as a flex? Well, in Week 11, not only is Ahmed dealing with a tougher matchup, but he could also be sharing carries with Matt Breida. As a result, we're recommending avoiding Ahmed along with some more notable potential busts like Matthew Stafford, Tom Brady, Mike Evans, and Mark Ingram in tough situations.
Per usual, our bust picks are just recommendations based on poor matchups, workload issues, or slumping players that should be avoided until they prove that they belong back in lineups. If you have a gut feeling about a guy like Ahmed, Ingram, or Evans, feel free to play them. Just know that their floors and ceilings may be lower than some of the other options on the slate due to these concerns.
WEEK 11 FANTASY: Sleepers | Start 'em, sit 'em
Our bust picks were solid Week 10. Notably, Jerick McKinnon, Joe Burrow, Carson Wentz, and Jared Cook posted rough games, and the likes of Darrell Henderson, Cam Newton, and the Patriots D/ST all underachieved, as well. We did have some misses, including Damien Harris, Marvin Jones, and Hunter Henry, so we'll look to improve this week.
WEEK 11 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 11 Fantasy Busts: Running backs
Mark Ingram, Ravens vs. Titans (Jacob Camenker). Against the Patriots, the backfield split for the Ravens was much of the same of what we've seen all year: Dead even. Ingram got seven touches, Gus Edwards had eight, and JK Dobbins had six. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson led the team in rushing attempts (11) and yards (55). Simply put, the Ravens backfield is a frustrating mess for fantasy purposes, so it's hard to recommend trusting Ingram even against a Titans defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to RBs this season.
Ronald Jones, Buccaneers vs. Rams (Vinnie Iyer). He hadn’t done much in several weeks before the Panthers’ explosion, and the Rams have become stronger against the run of late. This feels like a game where Tom Brady will throw a lot.
Salvon Ahmed, Dolphins @ Broncos (Matt Lutovsky). Ahmed dominated touches in the Miami backfield last week, and it seems likely he’ll lead the way again this week even if Matt Breida (hamstring) returns. However, Breida will cut in Ahmed’s carries, and in a slightly tougher matchup against a Broncos run defense that has had its ups and downs this year, Ahmed is a fairly low-ceiling play.
WEEK 11 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
Week 11 Fantasy Football Busts: Quarterbacks
Tom Brady, Buccaneers vs. Rams (Camenker). Brady has had some excellent games this year, but he has also struggled throughout his career when teams have been able to get interior pressure on him. The Rams will be able to do that with Aaron Donald and are allowing just 15.1 FPPG to QBs this season, good for the third fewest in the NFL.
Jared Goff, Rams @ Buccaneers (Iyer). Goff had a great matchup at home last week and threw well but there were no TDs. This is a tougher spot on the road.
Matthew Stafford, Lions vs. Panthers (Lutovsky). Stafford has been all over the place in recent weeks, struggling in favorable matchups (average of 258 yards and one TD against the Jaguars, Falcons and Vikings) and posting huge numbers in highly unfavorable matchups (306 yards and three TDs against Indianapolis and Washington). Carolina has been struggling against the pass lately, but this still grades out as a below-average matchup overall. Either way, Stafford, who’s dealing with a thumb injury, is a risky starting option in a week where there are plenty of sleeper QBs available.
WEEK 11 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Week 11 Fantasy Football Busts: Wide receivers
Sammy Watkins, Chiefs @ Raiders (Camenker). In three games against the Raiders the past two years, Watkins has been targeted 18 times, but he has caught just eight passes for 73 yards and a TD. Coming off a hamstring injury that has kept him out since Week 5, the Chiefs may ease Watkins back into action, and since he has already had some trouble beating the Raiders' defensive backs, it's probably best to trust someone else in a game that may be friendlier toward Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.
Jarvis Landry, Browns vs. Eagles (Iyer). He’s the low-upside limited volume receiver who everyone keeps starting for some reason just because he’s Jarvis Landry.
Mike Evans, Buccaneers vs. Rams (Lutovsky). It’s unclear which Bucs receiver will get the Jalen Ramsey treatment, but the Rams haven’t allowed much production to any receivers this year. Evans led the team in targets (11) and caught a touchdown last week, but Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown are better bets for yards. Ultimately, it seems likely at least one, if not two, of Tampa’s talented trio will disappoint this week, and the notoriously boom-or-bust Evans is our pick.
MORE WEEK 11 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 11 Fantasy Football Busts: Tight ends
Richard Rodgers, Eagles @ Browns (Camenker). Rodgers actually led the Eagles in receiving against the Giants, racking up 60 yards on four catches. However, Rodgers played just 31 percent of the team's snaps compared to Dallas Goedert's 93 percent, so it seems more likely that Goedert will have a chance to be the top receiving TE for the Eagles. Rodgers may be producing, but he can't be trusted to be that consistent with so few snaps.
Hayden Hurst, Falcons at Saints (Iyer). The Saints give up plenty to the position, but Atlanta might lean less on Hurst with a potential negative game script and likely having all three wide receivers healthy.
Jonnu Smith, Titans @ Ravens (Lutovsky). Smith has scored in back-to-back weeks, but he’s caught just four passes in that span and needed a one-yard run last week to get into the end zone. The Ravens are slightly above-average at defending TEs, but given Smith’s recent workload, he’d be tough to trust in any matchup.
WEEK 11 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 11 Fantasy Busts: Defenses
Indianapolis Colts vs. Packers (Camenker). The Colts are the No. 1 fantasy defense in standard scoring leagues, so many will be hesitant to bench them in any matchup. However, the Packers offense has been good in recent weeks and is getting Allen Lazard back to help at the wide receiver spot. The Colts may be able to limit the Packers, but with Aaron Rodgers playing at an MVP level, it's best to sub the Colts for another streamer, at least this week.
New England Patriots at Texans (Iyer). The numbers say you might consider it given the OK game against the Ravens, but Deshaun Watson will pick apart their pass coverage.
Los Angeles Rams @ Buccaneers (Lutovsky). We’ve seen Tom Brady and the Bucs wilt against a good pass rush in recent weeks, so it’s possible the Rams can shut Tampa down like the Saints did. They have the talent to do it. But the Bucs have been much more good than bad this year, and they have enough playmakers to make L.A. a low-floor option this week.
